Birth Control Safety Check

The U.S. Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (US MEC) is the CDC's evidence-based guidance on which birth-control methods are safe for people with particular health conditions. Every condition-and-method combination is rated 1 to 4: 1 means no restriction, 2 means the benefits generally outweigh the risks, 3 means the risks usually outweigh the benefits (so a method is generally not recommended), and 4 means the method shouldn't be used because it poses an unacceptable health risk. Clinicians use it worldwide to match methods to people safely. This tool applies that framework to the combined (estrogen) methods, where most safety considerations come up.

Because they share the same key ingredient — estrogen — and that's where almost all of the medical cautions live. The combined pill, the patch, and the vaginal ring all contain estrogen and a progestin, and estrogen is what raises concern with things like blood clots, certain migraines, uncontrolled high blood pressure, and smoking after 35. Estrogen-free methods — the progestin-only 'mini-pill,' the implant, hormonal and copper IUDs, and the injection — don't carry most of those cautions, which is exactly why they remain options for many people who can't safely use estrogen. Screening the estrogen methods answers the question most people actually have.

It usually means you have good alternatives, not that you're out of options. Most of the conditions that make estrogen risky do not restrict the estrogen-free methods, so the progestin-only pill, the implant, a hormonal or copper IUD, or the injection are typically still on the table — often they're the methods a clinician would suggest next. The one important exception is current breast cancer, where hormonal methods of all kinds are generally avoided, but the non-hormonal copper IUD is still rated no-restriction. Take your result to a clinician, who can confirm the safest, best-fitting choice for you.

No. This is an educational screen based on published CDC criteria, not a prescription, a diagnosis, or a complete evaluation. The full US MEC has many more conditions, footnotes, and situations than a short checklist can hold, and only a clinician can weigh your whole health picture, check your blood pressure, review your history, and prescribe. Use this to understand where you likely stand and to have a faster, better-informed conversation — not as the final word.

Only condoms (external or internal) meaningfully reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Hormonal methods, IUDs, the implant, and the injection are excellent at preventing pregnancy but offer no protection against STIs, so many people use a condom alongside their chosen method — sometimes called 'dual protection.' If STIs are a concern, it's worth pairing your method with condoms and staying up to date on testing.

Yes. This tool runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are checked on your own device and are never sent to a server, saved, or shared — close the tab and they're gone. It's general educational information based on published CDC guidance; it can't prescribe for you or replace a conversation with a clinician.